Key case



H. CAVE KEYVCASE I May 18 1926.

Filed Feb. '7, 1924 in""e INVENTOR ki ahm v ATTORNEYS Fatented May 18,192%.

siren rates asten sari-ear OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS,

A GOR-PGBATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

KEY CASE.

Application filed. February This invention relates to improvements inkey cases and, more particularly, to improvements in the manner ofmounting the key retaining clips or hooks.

The invention has for one object the provi sion of means which willfacilitate the selection, from a group of key retaining devices, of thatdevice which carries the desired key.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide, on eachkey retaining hook, an extension adjacent the pivotal axis thereof,which extension can be used as a finger piece to turn the hook on itsaxis and thereby separate it and its key from the remaining hooks andkeys.

To enable this object to be still more effectually carriedout,identificati0n marks may be associated with each of said extensionsso that one can locate the desired key by the number, or other mark,associated with the extension of the retaining hook therefor.

The invention is applicable to key cases of the swivel and non-swiveltypes but, in carrying out the invention with the swivel type of keycase, certain other advantages, entirely unrelated to the ease ofselection of the keys, are obtained.

For example, the heads of the hooks are usually swivelled as well aspivoted in a transversely-slotted, hollow, cylindrical 'member and thehook passes through this slot anc is free to swing therein. Clearancebetween the hook and the walls of the slot is essential and, since theheads of the hooks usually fit loosely in said member, the hooksfrequently have considerable side play. By utilizing the described hookextension, which also enters into the slot and usually on the oppositeside of the pivotal axis from the hook, the side play of the hooks isvery materially reduced and restricted within closer limits.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide on each hookan extension which enters said slot but which need not necessarily passout of and beyond the slot.

According to this feature of the invention each hook has a doublebearing in its slot, preferably, as near as may be, at diametricallyopposite points, which arrangement affords a more ample and eifectiveguiding of the hook in its-swinging movement than is ordinarilyafforded.

It has heretofore been proposed to make the swivel. head for the keyretaining hooks by bending the upper'PQltiOll 0f the shank 7, 1924.Serial No. 691,169.

into substantially the form of a circle, the axis of which issubstantially parallel with the shank of the hook. When such a head isused, trouble is sometimes experienced in disposing of the end of thewire which, unless bent inwardly from the circumference of the crcularhead, may catch and bind in the hollow cyl ndrical member. Such end,accordmg to th s invention, may be disposed of by bending 1t upwardlybeyond the swivel head to form the described extension, thereby not onlyeliminating a source of trouble but also accomplishing another desirableadvantage.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following descriptionand in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Flg. 1 is a front elevational view of an open keycase showing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the key case whenclosed;

Fig. d is a view, taken similarly to Fig. 2, showing a modification ofthe invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the construction shownin Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is a view, taken similarly to Fig. 2, showing another embodimentof the invention; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary elevational and top plan viewsshowing the construction of the upper end of one of the key retaininghooks.

Referring to these drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3; thekey case chosen to illustrate the invention is of a well known type,comprising a series of key retaining devices 10, such as snap hooks,pivotally supported from a metal plate 11, which is suitably attached,asby rivets 12, to the central portion 13 of a folder of flexiblematerial. The end portions 14: of this folder are foldable inoverlapping relation over the central portion 13 and may be secured byinteren gageable fastening. devices 15. The invention may equally wellbe embodied in other types of key cases, if desired.

According to one feature of the invention, each book 10 is provided withan extension-16, which may be used as a lever or finger piece to causethe hooks to swing about their pivotal axis, which, in theexampleillustrated, is that of a cylindrical member 17, formed as anintegral part of plate 11. The member 1.? is usually provided with aplurality of transver. slots 18 to permit the hooks it) to swine in the(lQrll'QLl arc-like patl. into and out of the key case and these slotsalso receive the extensions it The latter extend through and beyond theslots and are lo lied on the opposite side of the pivotal axis t'rointhe books. The particular way in which the books it) are pivoted isimmaterial so far as this feature of the invention is oncerned.

In c: rryinp out this feature of the invention, it is necessary toprovide clearance for the members 16 and when the latter are located asshown in Fig. 2, it may be neeessu'y to extend the slots 18 in plate 11to enable. the extensions to swing tbrou 'h the desired arc of travel,which is us 18 degrees. The central portion 13 of the tolder is alsoslotted near its upper end, as at 20, for the same purpose and, toprevent the euedges of the folder from fraying, a finislr ing" platemaybe provided on the back of portion 13. which plate may be held inplace by the rivets 12, described.

It is not necessarily essential that the slots 20 be provided for thenecessary freedom of movement for extensions 16 may be otherwiseprovided for. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the cylindrical portion1'? may be otlset forwardly from plate 11 to provide a clearance space22 for the purpose described. Also the extensions need not necessarilybe diametrically opposite to the hooks 10, but may be disposed with asomewhat forward inclination, as shown in Fig. l in connection with theextensions 16.

Identifying marks or characters, such as numbers, may be associated withthe extensions in any suitable way and may be applied directly to theextensions as shown in Fig. 5 or to some adj acent part, such as theplate 21. as shown in Fig.

According to another feature of the invention, the extensions have animportantfunc tion apart from that described and this function isaccomplished whether or not the extensions pass outside slots 18. Asshown ing Fig. (5, the extension, such as 16*, need not extend beyondthe peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 17. The provision of ahook having two portions which enter a slot 18 is important because ofthe double bearing'thus afforded for guiding the hooks in their swingingmovement. lVhile this feature is of value in any key case, it isespecially desirable in the so-called swivel hool-z key cases. Theswivel h ads usually have a rather loose fit within the hollowcylindrical member 17 and the hooks can move back and forth sideways toa considerable degree. The loosev fitting heads naturally drop below theaxis of member 17 and the degree of side play of the hooks is reatcr asthe center of oscillation for the side play movement approaches theperiphery of member 17.. By providing two parts on the hook to ride inslot 18 and by locating these parts in more or less opposed relation,the degree of side play is not affected by the location oi? the centerof oscillation, wherever it may be, and the degree oi side phr is heldwithin the desired limits, being those due to the necessary clearancebetween the-hook and the side walls of its slot. Also an adequateguiding hearing is a tiorded for each hook. The thin circular wall ofmember 17 does not allord much of a bearing in the ordinary key case butwhen this thin wall is engaged by the hook at two substantially oppositepoints a very substantial bearing is obtained.

lVhile the swivel head of the hook may be constructed in any suitableway, according to the features of invention as above set forth. theinvention particularly applicable to the style of head illustrated inFigs. 7 and 8. As there shown, the upper end of the shank of hook 10 isbent into a snbstantially circular coil 23, the axis of which issubstantially parallel with the shank of the hook. The free end of thecoil must naturally be bent inwardly inside the outer cir cuint'erenceot coil 23 in order not to catch on the edges of slot 18, when the hookturns about its own axis, or swivels. It is diflicult to satisfactorilydispose of this rough ragged end, when the hooks are made in quantityproduction. ll ith the present invention. this difiiculty is OYGI'COHXQby carrying such end inwardly and then bending it upwardly to form theextension 16 The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodimentat present preferred, with detailed variations, for illustrativepurposes. but the scope of the invention is defined by the appendedclaims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is:v

1. The combination with a key use, of a hollow cylindrical memberconnected thereto and provided with a series of lon ;itudinally spacedand substantially transversely disymsed slots in its periphery, and aseries of key retaining devices one for each slot pivotally connected tosaid men'lber 'lor swinging movement. into and out: of said case. theshank of each key retainingdevice extending through its slot to guidethe device in its swinging movement. and a part fixed to each device andextending through and beyond said slot to function as an auxiliary guideand as a selector.

2. The combination with a key case. of a hollow cylindrical memberconnected thereto and having a slot in its periphery disposedsubstantially transverse to the axis of said cylinder, a key retainingmember having a part engaged within said hollow member tosupport the keyretaining member for swinging movementinto and out of the case,

the shank of said member depending from said part through said slot, thelatter permitting the retaining member to swing throughout the desiredrange, and an extension from said part substantially opposed to saidshank and extending into said slot to cooperate therewith as anauxiliary guide and restrict the side play of the key retaining memberin the slot.

3. The combination with a key case, of a hollow cylindrical memberconnected thereto and having a slot in its periphery disposedsubstantially transverse to the axis of: said cylinder, a key retainingmember the shank of which enters said hollow member through said slotand is provided with a substantially circular coil to form a swivelhead, the latter disposed within the interior of said hollow member tosupport the retaining member for swinging movement about an axisparallel to that of the hollow member and for swivelling movement aboutan axis substantially at right angles thereto, the end of said coilbeing bent outwardly and projecting therefrom on the opposite side fromsaid shank said end entering said slot and cooperating therewith as anauxiliary guide to restrict the side play of the key retaining membersin the slot.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature.

HENRY CAVE.

